Becky Austin

Let Good Persevere (Romans 12)

3:40 AM





The early church lived in perilous times. They faced the very real trials of potential persecution, imprisonment, and even death to live out their beliefs. But, in Romans, they are encouraged to persevere through such uncertain times and worship God by committing their very lives wholeheartedly. 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (12:1-2)

To persevere in trying circumstances is no easy task but Paul gives us 3 vital keys.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (12:12)

Our greatest witness to the world can be in how we respond to difficulty and adversity.  How we respond to others can be a great opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ. If Christ reached out to us in our sin and despair, shouldn’t we extend His love to others who also desperately need it? Our wounded human instincts may cause us to want to avoid others, reject or retaliate against their behaviors, but each person we interact with needs to see Jesus through our responses to them. 

Persevering includes extending grace to others and representing Christ in every opportunity.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  (12:15-18)

Not every person is easy to extend love to. Not every person is easy to be kind to.  We must be patient and pray for Gods help to love others as He asks us to. When others “push our buttons”, “try our patience”, and “get on our last nerve”, we must remember that there is a spiritual war at stake. We must persevere to seek God’s wisdom in knowing how to respond. We must not repay evil with evil. 

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (12:21)


2 Corinthians 1:3-11; John 16:33

-A Content and Patient Heart – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

9:00 PM



Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
As we close this week we’ve learned that although life is not easy our true and only contentment comes from accepting Jesus Christ, and having faith that in Him we will have everything we need. Jesus is sufficient, and his promises are enough.

But there are times when our life can be obscured with troubles and hardship, how can we be content?  Paul reminds us that when suffering abounds, consolation also abound. Jesus is there to bring comfort (John 16:33), if we are willing to receive it. (vs.5)

“But if we are troubled and distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted and encouraged, it is for your comfort, which works [in you] when you patiently endure the same sufferings which we [b]experience” (vs.6)

In this verse we find the key to contentment: “when you patiently endure”.
Patience!! I humbly had to admit I definitely lack of patience. How do I react when unexpected circumstances come along? We tend to want everything to be perfect: just as we planned and we also want things to happen as fast as possible!
O how many times have I recited this verse from Psalm 27:14!

“Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (NLT)

Our lack of patience brings discontentment, stress, grumbling – questioning God- and even rehearsing negative thoughts!

Paul also encouraged the Colossians with these words: “[we pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (God’s people) in the Light.” (Col. 1:11-12)

So here Paul is also telling us that something has to happen in our hearts: His Holy Spirit is able to strengthen and invigorate us, to attain every kind of endurance.

We need inward peace as well as outward control (Gal. 5:22-23) We need to become grateful. It is impossible to develop contentment without gratitude. We must also submit our schedules, our desires, our dreams to the greater plans of God. Having the conviction that He has a good reason for every delay that He allows to come our way!

God’s promise not to forsake us  (Hebrews 13:5) should give us the assurance and confidence we need to be content with who we are, what we have, and what our future holds.
I pray that we find freedom from discontentment as we learn to depend upon God and to be content in any and every circumstance (Phil 4:11-13).
Blessings,
Mari



2 Peter 3

The Picture of Patience {2 Peter 3:1-18}

12:30 AM

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Related image


Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t come the day before you were saved?  Aren’t you glad that there’s still time?  Still time for all of those you sit there and worry about or who you are angry at for leaving the faith?  There’s still time!

Last week I shared about what faith is and that same day the Lord pushed me to read 2 Peter 3 and He had me stop at verse 9.  “No he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.”  I shared how this transition into having adult children has been rather difficult for me.  I used to think life was difficult back when my children were very young, but honestly 20-something is much harder!  It is especially difficult when you watch your “children” make poor choices and you cannot step in to sweep up the mess. 

I have found that my patience is very thin!  I pray.  But I just can’t quite trust… that God knows best.  After all, I am their mother! 

I hear quite often the phrase, “Life is short”, and I have to admit that at times it causes me a lot of anxiety.  It’s like I have to hurry or I may miss something.  And we are taught that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:14), and we must number our days (Psalm 90:12), but look at what 2 Samuel 14:14 says, that God devises ways for life; a way to pull you towards Him. 

And then I rested on verse 14, “And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life.  And be at peace with God.”  Hold on a minute.  Peace with God – I wrote in the margin, ‘not with each other’.  God’s purpose for people is not destruction but re-creation (Isaiah 66:22 & Revelation 21 & 22).  God makes us holy through faith in Christ.  He counts our sins as fully paid for by the blood and death of Jesus.  He has given us credit for Jesus’ righteous life.  All believers have peace with God in Christ, and He does view us – in Christ – as spotless and blameless.  Eternal salvation is not something we work for or earn.

As a Christian, I work, in God’s power, to live up to those things that are true of me in Christ.  I should work to root the sin out of my life and to fully engage in my peaceful relationship with God.  I cannot do this to earn my place in God’s family.  I do it because I already have one.

As much as being a mom has molded me into who I am today, I cannot allow it to become my identity.  It was becoming an idol.   I had to go through some trials to realize it.  And I’ll tell you that coming to this chapter has had me rejoicing that God is so very patient!
Image result for 2 peter 3:14

Direction

SoulSearching Sunday ~ Wait Patiently

12:00 AM

Sunday, May 13, 2018


Week Nineteen

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Psalm 25 - 53...

 1. When do you feel as though you are sitting in a waiting room-waiting for answers, waiting for direction and guidance? Ask God for patience, and for help to trust His perfect timing.

 “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14)

 2. Remember being forgiven by someone you loved? How did that experience impact your relationship with that person afterwards? Reflect on the magnitude of God’s forgiveness for you.

 “Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!" (Psalm 32:1)

 3. In what area of life do you constantly struggle to surrender to God? Job security? Children? Health matters? Finances? List those specific items and relationship that you must submit to Him. Talk with God about them.
“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you.” (Psalm 37:5)


Lisa Moore

Is Patience Really A Virtue? {Psalms 25:1-28:9}

12:00 AM


I can’t count the times I’ve been asked, “Why are you always in such a hurry?” It’s no secret to those who know me that I struggle with having patience, and if the definition of patience is waiting without complaint, that definitely counts me out! I know I know, it’s said that patience is a virtue. But is it so wrong with wanting things to be done quickly? And what’s so great about waiting anyway? Throughout the Bible we are told to wait on the Lord. But what exactly does that mean, and why is it so important?

In today’s society of instant gratification, waiting seems like a foreign concept. And although convenience can be a good thing, we have to make sure that we don’t become spoiled, demanding, and expecting that same convenience in our spiritual lives. If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves treating God like a worker at a fast food drive-thru. We place our order and then expect to have it immediately fulfilled. But God doesn’t follow anyone’s timetable but His own. And trusting Him means trusting that the Lord acts, “in behalf of the one who waits for Him.” (Is. 64:4)

King David knew the importance of patience and waiting on the Lord. He both begins and ends Psalm 27:14 by saying, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” David trusted that God knew his every need and greatest desire, just as He does with us, and would deliver exactly what he needed at the perfect time. Whether it be immediately, or delayed in coming, David had confidence in the love of the Lord and in His promises. For as Lamentations 3:25  tells us, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

But waiting on the Lord doesn’t mean sitting around wringing our hands and biding our time. Rather waiting on the Lord means trusting in confident anticipation that He will take action. And in the mean time we are to keep serving Him while we patiently wait for His answer and His actions. Matthew 6:33 tells us that before doing anything, we should "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”. Seeking Him can mean pushing forward in the direction in which we are confident He is leading us, or it can mean staying put until He tells us to move. In each case God blesses us when we give up our own agenda and seek His will in His timing.

So what if you’re like me and patience is something you struggle with?  We all have our sins to bear and the truth is, impatience is a sin. Although we may truly love God, impatience and an unwillingness to wait on Him shows a lack of complete faith in the Lord and His perfect plans. But thankfully, God loves us in spite of our shortcomings. And even better, He provides the tools to overcome whatever sin keeps us from experiencing our very best life. He does this by giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit. And one of the purposes of the Spirit is to conform us into the image of Jesus, making us more like Him. 

In 2 Thessalonians 3:5 Paul prays, “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.“ There could be no better example of patience than Jesus Himself. From the moment He left His throne in Heaven to come as a Sacrifice for all, He patiently endured suffering, rejection, temptation, ridicule, and heartache. And now He sits at the right hand of the Father patiently waiting to reign as the King He is, forever.

So although patience isn’t my strong suit, because it is a virtue of Christ I will gladly work on it every day until I can claim victory! I am a work in progress and take comfort knowing that God loves me as much at my very worst as He does at my very best . And until the triumphant return of my Lord, or my calling home to Heaven, I will put my trust in Jesus, resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for Him! (Ps. 37:7)

2Peter

12:00 AM


Patience

Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing 2 Peter 3:9…

 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Here is the amplified version…

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

This verse had me looking back in Ezekiel…

Say to them, AS I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? (33:11)

God has no pleasure when the lost die.  He desires that all repent and come to know Him. We need to be thankful that our Father was patient with us and sent the Holy Spirit to intervene and save us from a death in which we would be separated from God for all eternity.  And because we know of His patience, His mercy and His grace, our desire to see all repent should be as great as His. 

How should we live our life here on earth serving our Father and fulfilling His desire? By being willing to risk rejection, ridicule, and scorn by those who don’t believe in Him. We should love the lost like Jesus did, with compassionate and true love, willing to be hated in order to be used by God as a means to saving someone.  We, like our Father, should always desire that..” all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4).

Here is a sermon by John Piper speaking about this verse and those leading up to it. I pray that it blesses you.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/where-is-the-promise-of-his-appearing

Have a blessed and precious day everyone!

2 Peter

Walking in Diligent Perseverance {2 Peter 3 }

11:00 PM



Today Peter reminds his beloved people that the Day of the Lord is near. That they should be resting on His promise with faith! I still remember the first day I heard of Jesus’ return, I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I was thrilled and so eagerly waited in the next few days for Him to come!! So many years have gone by and I sadly have to confess there have been times in my life I’ve lost that zeal, by getting so caught up in the cares of this world! I praise our Father for not giving up on us!! And this is Peter’s concern, so he warns us that we should be careful, we need to be reminded of and remember the old truths that we already possess, but tend to forget.  We must continue to stand firm on our faith!  We must warn those who might take these Truths for granted and might even answer: “Yes, I know that…”, but will continue to live as this would not happen in the near future. Then there are those who won’t even believe that He will come at all, because they see no changes and they’d just rather live according to this world’s standards -Psalm 55:19- (3:3-7).

As I look back to my childhood, and all the years that our Father has granted me to this day I am forever grateful, He has delayed His return for my sake and the sake of my loved ones (3:9-10): giving us the opportunity to get to know Him more through His Word and also to witness to those who are astray, and some others have received His Salvation! But there is still much work to do!


Jesus warned:  “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him”.(Matt. 24:42-44)
Peter points out that the God who created the universe by His word and destroyed the wicked in the flood, has also warned that He will judge the ungodly in the future by fire.  (3:10-11) –Mal. 4:1, 2Thess 1:7-
Peter encourages us: “So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him]. 15 And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]” (14-15)

To be diligent (2 Tim. 2:15) means giving our attention to something. It implies making every effort or exerting ourselves toward a goal. It doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires deliberate focus. The forces of the world and our flesh are so great that if we do not apply diligence, we will be carried along in the wrong direction

That fact that God’s Day of Judgment is coming, should motivate us to live in diligent perseverance, which rests on four things: (Bible.org)

- the hope of His coming;
- holiness  (1Pe. 1:15) necessary for a clear conscience  (living in peace) –Ro.12:18, 14:19-;
- developing a heart for the lost (3:15a),
- and laying hold of the Truths from the Scriptures (1Thess.2:13, Gal. 1:11-12)

As Peter finishes his final epistle, concerned about the influence of false teachings, he wants us to persevere and he  exhorts us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He gives us three essentials for perseverance in the faith: guard ourselves from spiritual error, grow in the grace and knowledge of Him, and live to glorify His name. (3:18)

 “You will never feel yourself such a worm as when, by faith, you see your Savior dying for you; you will never know your own nothingness so well as when you see your Savior’s greatness. When you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you will be sure to grow in humility.” C.H. Spurgeon

Christ didn’t give His life for us just to start the Christian life. He gave His life so that we would finish it and finish it well! So remember: walk in diligent perseverance!!

 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12)! Let us  Glorify Him both now and unto the day of eternity!

Blessings!
Mari


2 Thessalonians

Our Lord is faithful! {2 Thess. 3)

10:30 PM



Today we close an awesome week, with the final  words of encouragement of Paul to the Christians in Thessalonica. Paul insists that they  to continue to pray (1 Thes. 5:18) so that the Word would run freely, without any hindrance. Satan is number ONE in bringing this to pass, and some people may become discouraged when facing trials.  But a life of prayer would not only boost their faith, but prepare them to testify and work for His kingdom. These same words of encouragement are for us, too! God has promised that His word would be free and perform its work:  

“So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent (Isa. 55:11). But as with many of God's promises, we are expected to take this promise in faith, and in prayer ask God to perform it for His glory!

In verse 2 Paul warns: “ and [pray] that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not everyone has the faith.“ (emphasis mine).  These were those who wanted to hinder the work of the gospel.  Have you ever been in the situation that some Christian people you know,  don’t’ live their  lives according to God’s precepts but this world’s standards? I have, and must sadly say: many times!!  We might not consider them “evil”, but the Word does!

Paul continues with this wonderful promise: “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things [which] we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ” (AMP)

Yes, our Lord is faithful!  Even if not all men have faith, the Lord is faithful. This was the basis of Paul's confidence in God's ability to establish and guard us from the evil one.

God promised to keep Satan on a leash. He will not allow any temptation to become too great for us (1 Cor. 10:13) and will not allow Satan to do whatever he wants with us (Luke 22:31-32)



Paul warns the Thessalonians to withdraw from any  brother  or sister who walk in disobedience (vs. 6-12,14).  "The present tense of the verb walks denotes that it is a deliberate course of action. Their disorderly conduct is not an occasional lapse but a persistent practice." (Hiebert)

The purpose in withdrawing from the disobedient was not so much punishment, but more so simply to deny them the aid and comfort of the fellowship of the body of Christ until they repented. The purpose was to bring about repentance and salvation in the disobedient ones, and not to condemn them.

Paul continues with words of  encouragement: “13 And as for [the rest of] you, [c]believers, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].” Or “be not weary in well doing”.  (Old KJV). 

We find this same encouragement when Paul wrote to the Galatians:

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (6:9 KJV) Yes, although we may find obstacles and trials in our Christian life, we must remember our Father is Faithful and will not leave us nor forsake us and one day we will be with Him through eternity!

"But well doing consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods; tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day's work; sweeping the carpets and dusting the chairs, if you happen to be a domestic servant. Well doing is attending to the duties that arise out of our relationships in life - attending carefully to them, and seeing that in nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers, but in everything are seeking to serve God." (Spurgeon).

  As with Paul’s final words to the Thessalonians, I would like to close today’s study with his Benediction: “16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” “ 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (AMP)  Amen!!


Blessings my sisters!!

Mari

Acts

Waiting on The Lord {Acts 24}

11:30 PM




By Sue Desmarais

Did the end of chapter 24 strike you as odd? What I mean is, Paul’s testimony not only clears him of any crime, but also shows the true reason for the violence against him, so why is Paul not freed immediately? Why is he kept in prison for two years? Luke is obviously retelling this story of Paul’s imprisonment and knows the outcome and what took place during those years, yet, for some reason, he has left out the details and left us to do our own investigative work.

There are several lessons we can take from this chapter, but before we begin looking into God’s motives in Paul’s imprisonment, let me ask you,
  • Have you ever been so consumed in a particular ministry and right in what you thought was the middle of it, it suddenly takes a completely different turn, or comes to a complete halt altogether?
  • Have you ever desired something so desperately only to get your wish, but in a way you never imagined?
  • Have you ever been stuck waiting on the Lord when the circumstances don’t seem to make any sense? You’re ready, willing and able to move forward, but you find yourself still waiting on Him?

I can answer, “Yes!” to all the above, which may explain why I was so interested in figuring out why God appears to apply the brakes on Paul’s ministry and leaves him sitting in prison for two years when we know Paul longed to go on a missionary trip to Rome and then onto Spain!

BUT before we look at Paul, I feel I should say something about Felix’s actions. Felix makes several mistakes that are worth noting so that none of us will do the same.
  1. Paul’s words brought Felix under the conviction of the Holy Spirit; Felix knows this message is for him and it fills him with fear. Yet, rather than bringing a change of heart to Felix, he chooses to postpone any decision. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that Felix ever came around to accepting the gospel message Paul spoke of. Therefore, we need to be ready to embrace the message when the Holy Spirit convicts and not put it off until later.
  2. How often do we justify inaction because of our busy schedule? Or  fool ourselves into thinking that by not deciding we “keep all the options open", for indecision is a decision. and we may find we’re truly only deceiving ourselves.
  3. Luke lets us see Felix’s true motive is one that comes from his own greed. He was hoping to receive some sort of pay off or bribe in exchange for Paul’s release, which tells us we should always be quick to examine our own heart motives with the decisions we are making.
  4. Finally, Felix, like Pilate with Jesus, seems to be more concerned with the opinions of the Jews, that have falsely accused Paul, than with the truth! He, having “more exact knowledge about the Way” was no dummy. He knew Paul was innocent, but still chose to keep Paul in prison. We all need to be careful we don’t allow the opinions of others to determine our actions or inactions.
Upon our first reading of chapter 24 we might be inclined to feel sorry for Paul, or even think evil has won, but we know God is a sovereign God and therefore, there has got to be a reason God has chosen, and not Felix, to keep Paul imprisoned.  

First, it’s important to note that Paul was given some liberties according to verse 23, “Then he gave orders to the centurion for him [Paul] to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him.” Did you catch the last part of the verse, “not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him.” How long has Paul been ministering to others and now others will have the chance to minister to him?

Secondly, this took place at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. I don’t know of many men who could have endured all Paul has up until now, therefore I  tend to wonder if the Lord wished to give Paul a bit of a rest, for we will soon see that what Paul will face next will not be easy at all!



The truth is, Luke “inspired by the Holy Spirit”(see 2 Timothy 3:16-17), leaves out two years of details here. We have no idea what Paul did during those two years, or even if he wrote any letters, for we have no evidence of them if he did! Which leads me to believe our Father sought to give Paul a rest. Paul has already experienced more than most people during his missionary journeys and is going to experience even tougher things ahead, therefore I like to think The Lord set him on the bench for a few years to rest, perhaps speak to him and get him ready for the remainder of his ministry.
I also thought of Joseph’s time in prison. He too had been falsely accused and forgotten, but God had an amazing ministry ready for him! And David, though he wasn’t kept in prison, David still had to wait to be given the throne. Paul said this of David in Acts 13:22, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’


I believe God could say the same about Joseph and Paul in the final days of their ministry as well. I hope and pray He will also be able to say that about me and you one day. After reading through this chapter and seeing that even Paul needed a rest, I think I will be more apt to embrace those periods in my life when God calls, “Come away with Me, My beloved and lets rest a while.”

Lisa Moore

Waiting On God {Luke 2}

12:00 AM

Waiting On God


By Lisa Moore

Many of you are aware of my struggle with fertility.  Since I can remember, I've always wanted to be a Mommy. Growing up when my friends and family asked me what I wanted be, I would proudly reply, "a wife and mother".  You can imagine my excitement when my husband and I decided we were ready to start a family.  I picked out names, planned out the nursery, looked at maternity clothes....the whole bit.  I was certain I'd get pregnant immediately.  But that was my plan, not God's.  His plan involved waiting and having patience.  And that's why I love the story of Simeon.  He too knew the pain of waiting, and the joy of seeing God's promises fulfilled.

Simeon whose name means "God has heard", was a man living in Jerusalem who we are told was "just and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him."  (v. 25).  To be called "just and devout", meant that Simeon was a righteous man who was both faithful and obedient to God.  And just like every other Jew, he was waiting for the promised Messiah to come and redeem the people of Israel.  God had also given Simeon the gift of the Holy Spirit who revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the "Lord's Christ". (v. 26).  

What an amazing promise from God! I can picture Simeon waking up each morning with excitement wondering if today was the day his promise would be fulfilled, and his disappointment when it didn't happen.  Maybe he felt discouraged or forgotten as days turned into months, and months into years. Have you ever felt that way?  As though you've been put on the back burner by God, or that He isn't listening at all? I have.  For as I stated earlier, my plan to start a family was just that.  Mine.  My plan, in my timing.  My will, not God's.  Needless to say, I didn't get pregnant.  And like Simeon, my days turned into months, my months into years.  We went to the doctor only to receive the devastating news that without medical intervention, we would be unable to have children.  But then something wonderful happened.  Immediately after hearing the words come out of the doctor's mouth, Luke 1:37 popped into my head.  "For nothing will be impossible with God."  In that moment, I knew God was telling me to trust Him, and to wait.

Though we may not like it, waiting on God is a big part of our walk of faith.  There may be many reasons why God calls us to wait.  Perhaps He's trying to teach us patience.  Maybe we need to learn to surrender completely to His will, or to trust in His perfect timing.  Whatever it is, waiting on God isn't easy.  And it also isn't passive.  We don't sit around passing the time waiting until He acts on our behalf.  Instead we praise and worship Him.  We go about doing the tasks that He calls us to do. We keep going when the going is hard and slow. We pray, and trust that He will do just as He has promised in faithful obedience.

Lamentation 3:25 tells us that, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him."  Simeon's story is the perfect example of this.  One day as he was going about his business, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple.  There he encountered Joseph and Mary who were presenting the baby Jesus to the Lord according to the custom of the Law.  Simeon took Jesus into his arms, knew that this baby was the One he had been waiting for, and immediately blessed God.  Simeon had seen God's salvation.  A salvation that wasn't just for the Jews, but for all people.  Oh the wonderful joy and peace Simeon must have felt in seeing the fulfillment of God's promise, his life now complete.  

God keeps His promises.  His faithful servant Simeon witnessed the Savior as promised.  And my story?  I too was going about my business, waiting on God when in the middle of a work day the Holy Spirit prompted me to go and buy a pregnancy test.  I had no reason to believe I was pregnant, and to me the idea was a little silly.  But in faith I bought that test, and nine months later my husband and I were blessed with a healthy baby boy.  

Are you waiting on God?  While you wait remember that God has not forgotten you.  He promises, "...those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."  (Is. 40:31).  Trust in God.  Trust in His promises, and most of all trust in His love for you, His precious child.